Abstract
In this chapter, I examine the myriad strategies through which residents of Mosman, Toorak, and Cottesloe mobilise their exceptional economic, social, and cultural capitals to achieve collective and individual objectives. The advantages of elite neighbourhoods become apparent in various forms, from successful fund-raising campaigns for local sporting facilities, through to the benefits of informal professional and business networks initiated within each neighbourhood . Yet, collective action towards shared goals is often held back by residents’ conservative ideologies valorising self-interest over communal good, aversion to government and the political process, busy careers, and even a surprising sense of ‘powerlessness’.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bardhan, P., & Mookherjee, D. (2000). Capture and governance at local and national levels. American Economic Review, 90(2), 135–139.
Connell, R., Ashenden, D., & Kessler, S. (1982). Making the difference: Schools, families and social division. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Daniel, G. (2015). Patterns of parent involvement: A longitudinal analysis of family-school partnerships in the early years of school in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40(1), 119.
Golden, M. A., & Min, B. (2013). Distributive politics around the world. Annual Review of Political Science, 16, 73–99.
Healey, P. (1998). Building institutional capacity through collaborative approaches to urban planning. Environment and Planning A, 30(9), 1531–1546.
Kapoor, I. (2016). Billionaire philanthropy: ‘Decaf capitalism’. In I. Hay & J. Beaverstock (Eds.), Handbook on wealth and the super-rich (pp. 113–131). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Lin, N. (1999). Social networks and status attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 25(1), 467–487.
McFarlane, C., & Rutherford, J. (2008). Political infrastructures: Governing and experiencing the fabric of the city. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 32(2), 363–374.
Murray, G. (2006). Capitalist networks and social power in Australia and New Zealand. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
New South Wales Treasury. (2015a). NSW budget 2015–16. Available at: http://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/#budget_papers
New South Wales Treasury. (2015b). NSW budget papers. Available at: http://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/Publications_Page/Budget_Papers
Peel, M., & McCalman, J. (1992). Who went where in who’s who 1988: The schooling of the Australian elite. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Wiesel, I., Liu, F., & Buckle, C. (2017). Locational disadvantage and the spatial distribution of government expenditure on urban infrastructure and services in metropolitan Sydney (1988–2015). Geographical Research. Online First, https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12245.
Winters, J. A., & Page, B. I. (2009). Oligarchy in the United States? Perspectives on Politics, 7, 731–751.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wiesel, I. (2019). Mobilisations. In: Power, Glamour and Angst. The Contemporary City. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1367-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1367-7_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-1366-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-1367-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)